Interrogation
by Alayne Stone
Summary: Post 8x07, Crowley decides to torture Samandriel again for a little more information...


"So..." Crowley said, eyeing the angel blade in his hand "I thought we might have a little chat again."

"I have told you everything I know!"

"Think of a better lie, sweetheart. You have billions of years of knowledge. I'm pretty sure you'd never run out of tales until the end of universe... perhaps I should keep you as my Seherezade. But right now..." Crowley turned to the angel with a predatory smile. "I want to hear more about Castiel's return. I'm pretty sure your brothers had a hand in it."

"How could I know? You've been keeping me here since the auction, and he just came back a few days ago!"

Crowley cut into his arm until he saw grace shining through. Samandriel screamed.

"Do we really have to play games?" The King of Hell purred but there was a hint of a menacing growl. "You guys have had this planned for long. Don't tell me that your boss just came up with it in the last few weeks, or I might forget to be nice."

"Please... I don't know... I'm just a soldier, they don't tell us half the-" The angel screamed again as the blade cut into him. Crowley made it slow this time, savored every moment.

"Now you are just making me angry... and you won't like me when I'm angry. They wouldn't send a mere soldier to retrieve the tablet. You must be high in rank, now that the real aces are out of the game... so I ask again, how did they get Castiel out?"

Samandriel didn't answer.

Crowley smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. Then he started to chant in Enochian to force the angel's wings out.

They were still beautiful, the feathers a soft shade of caramel, and Samandriel tried to keep them tucked, but Crowley grabbed one and unfolded it. The terror in the angel's eyes alone was worth it.

"Please..."

"Talk and I might be merciful."

"Please, I don't know anything! I'm telling the truth, please don't..."

Crowley drove the blade into his wing, stabbing though muscle and bone, and dragged it downwards. The angel's screams were almost unbearable to hear.

When he stopped, he lifted the boy's chin, looking into his eyes. "I can tear them to shreds" he hissed. "And you know I would do it. So tell me what I want to know."

"We... we have been besieging Purgatory... for months." Samandriel looked at him in pain, his tears mixing with blood. "Many of our brothers died just to open up the portal once, but Castiel didn't return with Dean. I... I thought he was dead."

"And that was when I took you" Crowley mused. "I assume they continued until they got his pretty ass out of there. Now the only question that remains is... what do they need him for? I somehow doubt they rescued him out of brotherly love."

Samandriel stayed silent.

"Why are you so difficult?" Crowley sighed. "You force me to be cruel, when I could be so gentle if you cooperated."

"Crowley... I swear on my grace... I don't know what Naomi wants with him."

"Didn't your daddy make a rule against false oaths?"

"I'm not lying" He sounded so broken. Crowley would have probably felt pity for him if he was capable of it.

"So you're telling me you just follow her orders blindly? You, Mr. Free Will?"

"I followed her because I wanted to see Castiel again. He did not deserve Purgatory, no matter what he did. He made wrong decisions but he always wanted to do good..."

"I suppose you count me among his wrong decisions."

"You were necessary, as much as I hate the thought."

Crowley's eyes were ice cold.

"As much as you'd like to see me as the bad guy, it was Castiel who betrayed me, not the other way around."

"You corrupted him, you taught him how to lie... what did you expect?"

"Oh... somebody has a crush on him." Crowley leant closer. "You should probably know he gave himself to me like the whore he is."

"How dare you?" Samandriel was deadly pale. "Castiel would never-"

"Such naivety... how did you think we sealed our deal?"

"No..." The angel closed his eyes for a moment. "No, that can't be true... you are an abomination, you are not worthy to even touch him!"

Crowley waited a bit, then struck him with all his strength.

"You will regret this" he gasped out. And he picked up the blade again. "Oh, you will _so_ regret this."

The demons standing outside heard such screams that even they were horrified. And it went on for hours.

The world was reduced to pain.

Even after Crowley left, Samandriel didn't move. He was barely breathing. His grace was leaking out from dozens of cuts on his vessel.

He had not lost his faith that his brothers would save him during the weeks he spent as Crowley's captive, but during the last few hours, all hope was ripped from him as the demon cut and tore his wings to shreds.

No amount of begging for mercy stopped him until he was done. "You will never fly again" he spat and left him there in the chair.

He was so weak his grace didn't start to heal up the cuts. He knew the soul of his vessel was in there, suffering, and he felt guilty. _I'm so sorry, Alfie. I never meant to drag you into this._

It hurt so much.

He didn't know how much time has passed. Crowley didn't come back, and he heard noises from afar - a fight was going down somewhere in the building, but the thick door shut most of it out.

He was just so tired.

Castiel and the Winchesters fought their way through a dozen demons. One of Crowley's mooks ratted out that the King had an angel captive, and they spent the last few days trying to track him down. This was the fourth old warehouse they went through - Castiel still remembered Crowley's bases - and here he could feel the presence of a grace, but it was barely more than a candlelight flickering in the wind.

Crowley was wise enough to zap out the minute the trio broke the door of the room he had been in. He didn't have time to take the little angel with him, but at this point, he had no more use for him, and killing him would have been no fun. Not yet.

"I can feel that a brother is here somewhere" Castiel said. "Let's look around."

The broke into half a dozen empty rooms until Castiel finally found the right door. He just blasted the lock off.

As they walked in, even the boys couldn't suppress a gasp of horror. Castiel rushed to his little brother, checking for life signs. He was still alive, but his grace badly damaged and his wings beyond saving. Castiel gently touched his face, calling to him.

Samandriel opened his eyes and for a few moments he just stared, unable to believe Castiel was really there. "Castiel?" He whispered.

"It's me. You are safe now." Castiel made the straps vanish and caressed his face.

Samandriel tried to smile, his eyes so full of adoration.

They tried to help him up, but he was so weak he could barely move. Eventually Sam took him in his arms, carefully, trying not to touch his ruined wings as he carried him.

Castiel was shaking with anger. Crowley had gone too far. It was personal now. He would find him and he would make his death slow and painful.

When they were at the car, Castiel holding Samandriel in the backseat, trying to heal at least the worst cuts, the younger angel looked up again, whispering his name.

"I'm here, and I'm not going to leave you. He can never hurt you again."

"I'm... so sorry... I told him the names, I wasn't strong enough..."

"Don't blame yourself, brother. I know Crowley. If he wants information, he will get it. It's not your fault."

"It hurts so much... my... my wings..."

Castiel wanted to cry when he looked at them. "We will make him pay for this."

Samandriel held on to him, his hands grasping at Castiel's trench coat. "Castiel... please... I can't bear it. Let me die."

"No... you will heal, Samandriel, you mustn't talk like that."

"I don't deserve to live. I have failed my brothers, failed _you_..." His look was heartbreaking. "Please. Have mercy, Castiel, make it stop..."

Castiel knew that he should do it, but he just couldn't. He had watched so many of his brothers die, and they still haunted him. He couldn't kill this innocent boy who had been under his protection as a fledgling and later joined his side in the war, still barely more than a child.

He put him under a sleeping spell with a touch. "No, little brother" he whispered, holding him protectively. "I will save you."


End file.
